The Cement Barge was deployed in January 1984 in the Donaldson Permitted Area approximately 3.5 miles East Northeast of the St. Lucie Inlet and sits upright in 60 feet of water. It is called the “Cement Barge” because it was deployed with several Rinker/Cement Mixer barrels on top of it that during deployment rolled off and settled on the Northeast side of the barge. Most of them remain in that same area to this day.

It is so heavily encrusted it is virtually a Benthic Garden and an Underwater Macro Photographers dream come true. The Painted Bulb Tunicates are spectacular!! It also attracts a huge number of bait and predatory fish. The Goliath Grouper here are big enough to scare you and this is the only Barge where we have actually seen schools of large Tarpon.

In 2005, the Cement Barge reef site was augmented with the addition of four Reefmaker units that now surround the site and add to the available growth structure.